I felt myself coming down with a serious case of the "I have nothing to wear"-s before New York Fashion Week this September. My sweaters felt stale. My jeans seemed way too out of step from fall's denim trends. My tote bags slouched in a way that read more "overstuffed" than "intentional." And when I looked around at beloved-but-controversial street style trends, I didn't see outfits I wanted to copy and paste into my own closet. Just when it seemed inspiration would evade me all season, J.Crew's fall collection came to my rescue—but not from my usual scroll on its store app.
Instead, the epicenter of each fall's best preppy pieces took over 190 Bowery, a downtown New York City landmark; decorated it like a cross between an Ivy League Library and an editor-in-chief's walk-in closet; and filled it with some of the city's best-dressed residents. The likes of Emmy-winner Anna Sawai, writer-actress-director Cazzie David, SNL star Chloe Fineman, and lifestyle icon Martha Stewart all stopped by in a mix of fall trends and true-to-them staples. (Think: a varsity striped sweater and leather mini skirt here, a suede trench coat styled like a mini dress there.) The result? A living, breathing catalog, modeling a J.Crew fall collection I could instantly envision myself wearing, too.
None of the women in this vision-board crowd wore her J.Crew the same way. Where one A-lister saw a moment to model relaxed charmeuse pants and a classic sweater, another elevated her loafer outfit with a printed mini skirt and a relaxed barn jacket. Everyone captured that quintessentially cool, slightly academic, and all-around effortless look that's made the J.Crew renaissance of the past few years so exciting to shop.
After scrolling these exemplary outfits, I built my own J.Crew fall collection shopping list. More importantly, I suddenly knew exactly what I could wear with confidence for fashion week—and the entire season ahead.
Let's start with the most foundational piece on the lineup: a re-edition of J.Crew's rollneck sweater. I've worn a navy rollneck over jeans, satin skirts, and velvet slip dresses for three falls in a row. With Martha Stewart as my new cozy-chic blueprint, I'm ordering the white rendition.
With its subtle sheen, this charmeuse pant fits right into my work dinner lineup with feather-trimmed button-ups and structured sleeveless tops. The elastic waistband and roomy wide legs mean I'll feel like I'm wearing cozy sweatpants even when I'm dressed up.
Cazzie David and Anna Sawai both sold me on these T-strap pumps. The crocodile-embossed leather will level up my favorite jeans and sweaters the moment I slip them on.
I spent all summer layering linen vests over cotton poplin skirts and cowboy boots. Now I have the key to carrying that outfit formula into fall: this denim vest.
There's something delightfully retro about this striped sweater I caught in J.Crew's fall collection. Maybe it's the ultra-saturated shade of blue, maybe it's the varied width of the stripes. Either way, I can't wait to try this with a leather midi skirt or high-rise indigo denim.
Three years ago, J.Crew released a khaki pleated skirt I've worn on repeat each and every season. I didn't know I wanted a gray counterpart until I saw this Prada-esque version cut from suiting fabric out and about.
Chloe Fineman carried a cow print bag to New York Fashion Week, so I'm set on carrying a cow print bag to New York Fashion Week. Really, it's a twist on a neutral—and I'm delighted by the skinny belt cinching it all together.
Anna Sawai showed me how to wear this intentionally oversize barn coat now, with a printed mini skirt and a thin knit sweater. Thanks to its generous proportions, I know I can also layer it with a thicker pullover and jeans when fall is in full swing.
Another find Anna Sawai found first: These preppy tasseled loafers. They'll make all my fall styling dreams come true when I add a striped crew sock beneath a blazer and jeans.
New York Fashion Week is barely a day in motion, but I've already seen so many cuffed jeans—beginning with J.Crew's fall collection event. Unlike the creatives and influencers I've seen out in the wild, I'll keep mine simple with a tucked-in T-shirt, a belt, and ballet flats.
Cazzie David's outfit was all the convincing I needed to shop this varsity cable-knit sweater. But if I hadn't seen the writer-actress wear it first, I'd still be persuaded by the stripes along the collar and hem.
I've been noticing A-listers styling their best fall jackets as standalone dresses. I wasn't confident in trying the look myself until I saw Chloe Fineman test this J.Crew coat. Of course, I'm still just as likely to wear it with everything from knit dresses to chinos.
